NSF Award
2419169
This doctoral dissertation research project investigates how key evolutionary changes in locomotion influenced the relationship between cognition and movement performance in humans. Two significant shifts in locomotion occurred during the course of human evolution: (1) a transition to bipedal walking, and (2) the incorporation of long-distance aerobic activity associated with a hunting and gathering lifestyle. Each of these shifts altered movement and influenced how the brain and the rest of the body interact during locomotion. It is possible that both transitions required enhanced cognitive resources given that bipedalism challenges balance and stability, while long distance hunting and gathering combines endurance activities with cognitive tasks such as navigation, communication, and searching. To examine this question, this project uses dual-task laboratory experiments that demand the simultaneous performance of cognitive and locomotor (balance and endurance) skills. Results from this study inform fall risk prevention specially for high performance professionals who are required to perform dual-task activities. Undergraduate students are trained in research techniques and scientific communication, and K-5 students are provided with online educational programs and hands on after-school workshops. <br/><br/>This study applies a novel experimental approach to assess the cognitive and locomotive costs of the brain-body interaction during bipedal walking. The methods applied are well established, but their integration in the analysis of cognition and locomotion is innovative. The project’s primary objectives are to determine (1) how bipedalism impacts the cognitive demands of locomotion and (2) how the shift to longer-duration hunting and gathering affects the relationship between cognitive demands and endurance. To address these aims, participants recruited into the study will be asked to complete single (motor) and dual cognitive-motor tasks in even and uneven terrains, with or without walking poles, and under non-endurance and endurance (30-minute walks) conditions. Cognitive tasks will include serial subtracting, n-back (identify whether the letter shown is the same one as two letters ago) and Stroop world color interference (where worlds for color are shown in different color fonts, and then the participants are asked whether the word and the color are congruent). The study’s relevance is high as both bipedal locomotion and higher cognitive functions are two of the most notable trends in human evolution.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
